Canada ranks 4th in the OECD (compared to the US at 18th place) when it comes to a lengthy study of 15-year olds' academic capabilities. I believe our secret is twofold: 1) standardized testing; and 2) accountability by the principals and school boards to the parents. Principals are used to preparing "state of the school" addresses to defend their school's performance to parents. But we tend to have a somewhat more homogeneous and centrally organized curriculum standards approach. The one fly in the ointment is that rural students fair much poorly.
Ranking: <<http://www.globeandmail.com/servlet/GIS.Servlets.HTMLTemplate?current_row=1&tf=tgam/search/tgam/SearchFullStory.html&cf=tgam/search/tgam/SearchFullStory.cfg&configFileLoc=tgam/config&encoded_keywords=canada+ranks+4th&option=&start_row=1&start_row_offset1=&num_rows=1&search_results_start=1&query=canada+ranks+4th>> Rural/urban split: <<http://www.globeandmail.com/servlet/GIS.Servlets.HTMLTemplate?current_row=1&tf=tgam/search/tgam/SearchFullStory.html&cf=tgam/search/tgam/SearchFullStory.cfg&configFileLoc=tgam/config&encoded_keywords=rural+reading&option=&start_row=1&start_row_offset1=&num_rows=1&search_results_start=1&query=rural+reading>> 4th place isn't good enough, given that the UN has for the past 4 out of 5 years placed Canada as the number 1 place to live, when all social, political and financial factors are concerned. -- Marc A. Schindler Spruce Grove, Alberta, Canada -- Gateway to the Boreal Parkland “Man will occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of the time he will pick himself up and continue on” – Winston Churchill Note: This communication represents the informal personal views of the author solely; its contents do not necessarily reflect those of the author’s employer, nor those of any organization with which the author may be associated. ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// /// ZION LIST CHARTER: Please read it at /// /// http://www.zionsbest.com/charter.html /// ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ==^^=============================================================== This email was sent to: archive@jab.org EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?aaP9AU.bWix1n.YXJjaGl2 Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^^===============================================================